Orecchiette with Kale, Pancetta and Pine Nuts
An Italian winter classic with kale: orecchiette are tossed with crispy pancetta, garlic, chili and pine nuts and finished with Parmesan. A hearty dish that goes well with a kale evening.
By yumbelo · 4 servings · 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 400 g Orecchiette
- 500 g Kale, stems removed
- 100 g Pancetta, diced
- 3 pc Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 pc Red chili, finely chopped
- 50 g Pine nuts
- 60 g Parmesan, freshly grated
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Method
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot with plenty of salt. Wash the kale, spin it dry and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Toast the pine nuts without fat in a large pan until golden brown, then remove them and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in the pan, fry the pancetta until crispy, and briefly fry the garlic and chili along with it until fragrant.
- Add the orecchiette to the boiling salted water and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Before draining, scoop out about 100 ml of the cooking water.
- Toss the kale in the pan with the pancetta for about 5 minutes, until it wilts and becomes tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drain the pasta, add it to the pan together with some of the cooking water and mix everything well until a lightly creamy sauce forms.
- Serve sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan and the toasted pine nuts.